Every year since 1994, UNESCO has celebrated Oct. 5 as World Teachers’ Day. The day was designated as a way to appreciate, assess and improve educators around the world. The theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day is, “Invest in the Future, Invest in Teachers” and highlights the need for more rigorous training, better conditions for employment and quality-based teacher recruitment to attract new teachers, especially young people and women from under-represented communities.

According to UNESCO, one primary concern is the global shortage of teachers which has pressured many countries to hire educators with little or no training, undermining the educational progress of numerous school-age children around the world. UNCESCO notes that an additional 1.4 million teachers are needed to achieve universal primary education by 2015, the second of the eight anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals.

Teachers play an important role in the lives of poor youth in Salesian schools. Their work is vital to their students’ success both in and out of the classroom. Salesians educate more than 1 million youth in 3,200 primary and secondary schools and more than 800 vocational, technical and agricultural schools in more than 130 countries around the globe.

UNESCO also noted that quality teaching depends on teachers enjoying basic rights, such as protection from violence, academic freedom and the freedom to join independent unions.

Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often lack basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war torn communities. Salesian teachers meet these challenges head on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of youth that graduate from their classes. Salesians believe that access to education and highly qualified teachers is critical to help youth learn job skills, improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

Salesians in many of the poorest parts of the globe are dedicated to increasing the number of trained teachers where they are needed most. The United Nations notes that there is a huge need for well-trained and well-supported teachers, particularly in African and Arab countries. Not only are the Salesians a major employer of quality teachers around the globe, they also provide the training and certification these teachers need.

Recently, a new Salesian-run secondary school in Zambia was the setting for a meeting to mark the launch of a fast track teacher training program. The program is a collaboration between St. Eugene University and the Zambia Ministry of Education at Don Bosco Secondary School. Through this program, the Ministry of Education is upgrading the knowledge and certification of some 2000 teachers as a way of improving education standards in the country.

To address the shortage of qualified teachers in schools, the teacher training program will enable teachers on government sponsorship to upgrade from certificate to diploma and from diploma to degree level. St. Eugene University will provide the advanced degree education to teachers, many of whom are graduating from Salesian schools.

“Quality education depends on well-trained teachers,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian teachers help prepare students to easily transition from Salesian primary schools into continued higher education where they can begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills necessary to lead a productive life.”

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Sources:

UN – On World Teachers’ Day, UN agencies urge investing in educators

UNESCO – World Teacher’s Day 2014

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“I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the overarching global challenge of sustainable development – and how we can bring all partners together to advance this cause,”Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his remarks at the UN Headquarters in New York entitled ‘Partnering for Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development.’

The special ECOSOC event is organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Office for Partnerships, the UN Global Compact and the Global Partnerships Forum.

The event brought together these bodies as well as Member States, the private sector, foundations and civil society to boost efforts towards reaching the MDGs by the target deadline and to promote thinking on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

“Technological learning and innovation capacity is critical to enable the provision of essential amenities to all and is therefore fundamental to ensuring overall sustainable development,” Néstor Osorio, president of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said in his opening remarks.

“The absence of such capabilities results in limitations to application of existing technologies in all sectors, including those of public importance such as health, education, agriculture and climate change, to name but a few,” Mr. Osorio continued.

He noted that the messages emerging in today’s meeting dovetail with the key outcomes of yesterday’s ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum special policy dialogue on private philanthropic foundations in the post-2015 setting.

“To achieve robust development results in future, a renewed global partnership for development must embrace diversity and recognize the roles of all stakeholders, including those of philanthropic organizations,” Mr. Osorio said to that group.

Today’s event features policy dialogues held in the morning and “partnerships clinics” in the afternoon focusing on potential solutions to development challenges facing Africa, as well as a keynote address from Mo Ibrahim, Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation which awards a prize for good governance and leadership in Africa.

Given the importance of partnerships in the UN’s work, Mr. Ban announced today that he will propose the creation of a new UN Partnership Facility “to capture the full potential for partnership.”

“The Facility would help us deliver at scale – globally and at country level– across the range of UN mandates, goals and values,” Mr. Ban said. He added that the UN agencies, funds, programs and departments would continue to conduct the majority of related activities, but the Facility would strategically and systematically fill in any gaps, as well as build and strengthen partnership services.

The recommendations from today’s events will be presented to ECOSOC’s high-level ministerial meeting in July.

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See this United Nations article at its original location >

Photo: ECOSOC discusses ‘Partnering for Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development.’ UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

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Every year since 1993, the international community celebrates World Water Day on March 22, which focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The Theme for World Water Day 2013 (coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water) is ‘Water, water everywhere, only if we share.’

“Water holds the key to sustainable development,” says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in an address highlighting World Water Day 2013. “We must work together to protect and carefully manage this fragile, finite resource.”

In honor and celebration of World Water Day 2013, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that provide safe water and much-needed agricultural training to those most in need.

BOLIVIA

In Bolivia, families now have access to safe drinking water in their homes through community water distribution projects. In the town of “19 de Agosto” in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the new distribution brings water directly to 106 families who previously had to carry potable water from the town well to their own homes. In addition, the distribution system greatly improves the sanitary conditions of the drinking water. In the town of “Las Parabas,” 50 families now have water distribution directly into their homes.

In another project, water helps power electricity that brings hope to the people of Kami, a village high in the Bolivian Andes. Through Salesian Missions, an abandoned hydro-electrical power station has been restarted to provide the only source of electricity to the local school, hospital, sawmill and new businesses. Refurbished turbines can be fully used even with a small supply of water in the dry season. Excess power can be sold to the Bolivian Electricity Board to defray costs. Now the community has access to technology in its school, better basic medical care, job opportunities and a brighter future for all.

EAST TIMOR

The Salesians are helping East Timor recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. One-third of the population faces food shortages and many of the schools have been destroyed.

At the Salesian agricultural school there, students learn theoretical agricultural methods and work on the college farm. Agricultural skills are also being taught in parish centers and schools. In Baucau, young people have set up a cooperative to plant rice on land owned by parishioners. When they started, they had no tools or machinery, just their bare hands. With assistance from Salesian Missions and AusAid, they were able to purchase hand plows, threshing and milling machines. A portion of the crop belongs to the workers, a portion goes to the landowners as rent and the rest is sold for profit.

INDIA

Child survival depends on safe drinking water. In India, progress has been made toward making access to safe drinking water more readily available with 84.5 percent of rural and 95 percent of urban populations having sustainable access to safe drinking water, according to the World Bank.

At the Don Bosco Center for Learning in Kurla, course work focuses on job training in developing technologies concerning water – ranging from plumbing and sanitation to developing efficient methods for utilization and analyzing existing systems for efficient transportation of water. The courses are designed for youth who have previously left school in order to help them enter the job market.

KENYA

In Kenya, agricultural training has made a significant difference at the Kakuma Refugee Camp. There, food security is enhanced by the demonstration farm which offers training in agriculture skills. It also produces fresh fruit and vegetables adding to the amount of food available to the refugees and inhabitants of the camp.

Agricultural skills are also an important component at the Bosco Boys Kuwinda facility. There, students receive training in the care of livestock including poultry, cows and pigs, as well as training in the vegetable gardens. Eggs and meat are sold from the farm to help support the project.

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2013

Salesian Missions

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With a focus on families living in poverty, the summer camps provide education, cultural and recreational classes and a chance for hundreds of youth to participate within their communities.

Nearly one fourth of Brazilians live in poverty and 6.6 percent live in extreme poverty, according to a UNESCO report. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich. Inequalities remain in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education.

“The gap in opportunity for rich and poor continues to be very wide in Brazil, even with government efforts,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We are seeing that youth who are already at a social or economic disadvantage fall even further behind because of a lack of access to quality education.”

Each year in Recife Province about 30 camps are organized for thousands of youth. Close to 1,000 volunteer leaders are involved in the development and execution of the camps, including many Salesians.

This year fewer camps were run in the Province due to lack of local support and available resources being diverted to the upcoming World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

Even with the drop in numbers, the Salesian camps continue to positively impact their students. New camps were organized in locations where previously no camps existed, such as in Salvador de Bahia where 30 youth between the ages of 12 and 14 years participated and in Carpina, Pernambuco where 40 youth organized a camp for 250 children. Three hundred young people attended camp in Juazeiro, Ceará and close to 400 in João Pessoa, Paraíba.

“The summer camps are a great opportunity for youth to continue their education and build relationships within their communities,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We want youth to lead happy productive lives and the summer camps help us to further their education, teach values and help youth on the road to a brighter future.”

Learn more about Salesian Missions programs in Brazil >

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Sources

ANS – Brazil – Salesian summer camps

UNSCO – Statistics in Brazil

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Nearly one fourth of Brazilians live in poverty and 6.6 percent live in extreme poverty, according to a 2008 UNESCO report. While Brazil is making positive changes, there is still a large gap between the poor and the rich.

“In Corumbá we’re trying to rescue children from dangers like prostitution and drug trafficking, which are frequently encountered on the border with Bolivia,” says Father Osvaldo Scotti, director of the Happy Youngsters Project. “Through study, vocational training and education we can prevent youth from falling into vice and give them hope for a better future.”

In its 51 year history, Don Bosco City in Corumbá has worked with close to 30,000 youth providing training and education. Many of its students remain for 10 years or more to continue their schooling. At the end of their studies, they often receive ongoing academic support throughout their time at university and if needed, family assistance after that. A very strong bond is created between the Salesian-run program’s staff and the youth it serves.

Every day nearly 3,000 youth receive education and training services at Don Bosco City. There are about 2,000 students attending the primary and middle schools and 500 students enrolled in vocational training. Another 300 or more youth participate in the social welfare services offered and the Happy Youngsters Project.

The Happy Youngsters Project was initiated to serve those youth who return home from school to an empty house. Without afterschool care, these youth are more vulnerable to spending time on the streets.

“Anyone walking the street ends up being exploited, has little to eat and can fall into the trap of drugs and prostitution,” explains Fr. Scotti. “For this reason we keep youth after school, let them eat and spend the afternoon with us and go home only at night, when maybe a parent or a grandmother or some other responsible person can take care of them.”

“They are the most disadvantaged, because although other students are poor—given that the area has high emigration and only those with fewer opportunities remain behind in Corumbá—at least they have someone to be with them,” adds Fr. Scotti.

The project is currently being supported by close to 1,000 international donors from Italy, Slovenia and Spain. But with recent international economic struggles, donations have fallen. Without ongoing support it is likely the project will see a decrease in services leaving poor youth vulnerable.

To make a donation to support this project, visit the Don Bosco in the World Foundation.

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Sources

ANS – Corumbá’s mission: Making youngsters happy

Salesian Missions – Brazil

The post Brazil: New Funding Campaign to Support After-School Care for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

1. Alternative pathways to learn foundation skills must be provided for an estimated 200 million young people.
2. All young people need quality training in relevant foundation skills at lower secondary school.
3. Upper secondary curricula should provide a balance between vocational and technical skills, including IT, and transferable skills such as confidence and communication which are indispensable for the work place.
4. Skills strategies must target the disadvantaged: particularly young women and urban and rural poor.
5. $US8 billion is needed to ensure all young people attend lower secondary education. Governments as well as donors and the private sector must help fill the funding gap.

The 2012 edition of the Report follows the launch on 26 September of “Education First”, an initiative driven by U.N Secretary General Ban Ki moon who stressed the importance of rallying all stakeholders to overcome the obstacles to achieving “quality, relevant and transformative education.”
“Our shared goals are simple,” said the Secretary-General on that occasion. ‘We want all children to attend primary school and to progress to secondary school and relevant higher education that will help them to succeed in life and live as engaged and productive global citizens.”

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Photo: UNESCO/BRAC

The post UNESCO: 20 Percent of Youth in Developing Countries Fail to Complete Primary School, Lack Job Skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The event took place during the High Level Meetings on the Rule of Law and the Opening of the 67th General Assembly. This was made possible by a collaboration between The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Honduras to the United Nations.

In their welcoming remarks, Ambassador Valero from Venezuela and Ambassador Flores from Honduras discussed the positive impact of Salesian work on behalf of youth in their countries and in all of Latin America, particularly in education. Ambassador Valero noted that UNESCO considers the Salesians the “largest educational agency that exists today.”

Archbishop Mamberti, secretary for relations with States of the Holy See, stressed the role of family in assisting young people to become agents of change in their societies. Additionally, he noted that societies must help create opportunities so that young people will be able to rise to their full potential and break the cycle of poverty. Mamberti said that this begins “when the young are viewed as protagonists rather than problems in a community.”

In his role as president of ‘Caritas Internationalis’ the Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga cited examples from recent Salesian and Caritas projects that highlight the generosity of youth who volunteer their time and talent to improve the lives of others. He further noted that the transformation of societies often begins with the zeal, enthusiasm and creativity of young people who often challenge others to see things in new ways and approach life with greater passion and dedication.

Brother Jean Paul Muller, the economer general of the Salesians, who has vast experience with education and development projects, highlighted examples of effective practices by Salesian programs around the globe that help youth escape the cycle of poverty. He stressed the pedagogy of work, and encouraged assistance in helping youth earn a salary and acquire an education that will help them to spend their financial resources with attention, mindfulness and justice.

All of the panel speakers noted that voices of the young are significant. They stressed the importance of listening to youth to learn their aspirations and dreams, their struggles and challenges if they are to be helped to create an enabling environment for more inclusive, just and equitable societies. In many societies, youth do not have access to power or are excluded from influencing the debates that affect their lives. Speakers stressed that the continued implementation of youth centered groups where youth can express their concerns can change this.

Further speakers noted that there is a continued need to address issues facing youth such as unemployment, child labor and child soldiering. Providing the basic needs of youth creates an environment conducive to growth and development, allowing them to better achieve their potential. Providing them with access to education, health care, clean water and sanitation creates productive citizens. The speakers also noted that opportunities for sports and leisure activities should be encouraged and provided. Cultural outings and exposing young people to the wealth of their heritage and to other cultures gives them more resources to engage in a globalized world.

At the end of the discussion the president of Honduras, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo, noted the need to consider human rights, ecological rights and a future that is impacted by globalization in order to assist youth to be agents of change.”

About Salesian Missions at the United Nations >

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Sources:

ANS – Empowering Youth to be Agents of Change

ANS – The Salesians speak in the UNO: Empowering Youth to Change the Society

The post GLOBAL: Salesians Speak at United Nations, Empower Youth to be ‘Agents of Change’ first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The costs are enormous,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. “Illiteracy exacerbates cycles of poverty, ill-health and deprivation. It weakens communities and undermines democratic processes through marginalization and exclusion. These and other impacts can combine to destabilize societies.”

This year’s Day is being commemorated under the theme “Literacy and Peace.”

Ban noted that despite progress, illiteracy continues to afflict millions of people, especially women and girls. In 2009, roughly two thirds of the world’s estimated 793 million illiterate adults were female. That same year, some 67 million primary school-aged children and 72 million adolescents were denied their right to an education, he added.

“Literacy unlocks the capacity of individuals to imagine and create a more fulfilling future. It opens the way to greater justice, equality and progress. Literacy can help societies heal, advance political processes and contribute to the common good,” he declared.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that more than half the adults in 11 countries are illiterate. These are Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Haiti, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

“The world urgently needs increased political commitment to literacy backed by adequate resources to scale up effective programs,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in a message.

“Today I urge governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to make literacy a policy priority, so that every individual can develop their potential, and actively participate in shaping more sustainable, just and peaceful societies.”

About Salesian Missions at the United Nations

Learn about Salesian Missions education programs fighting literacy around the globe in countries including: Angola, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India,  Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Uraguay, Zambia

(UN PHOTO)

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Toward the end of his talk (which lasted about 20 minutes), Obama said, “Brasilia is a young city – it will turn 51 next month. But it began as a dream more than a century ago. In 1883, Don Bosco, Brasilia’s patron saint, had a vision that one day, a capital city of a great nation would be built between the 15th and 20th parallels. It would be a model for the future and ensure that opportunity was the birthright of every Brazilian”.

“And today, this city and this country are indeed a model for the future, showing the world that democracy is still the best partner of human progress. As friends and neighbors who have lived the same story, we are eager to be a part of your future, and fulfill our American Dream together.”

It was quite fitting that the president mentioned Don Bosco, according to Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, NY. Don Bosco was an Italian Catholic priest who “devoted his life to fulfilling the needs of orphans and vulnerable children”. In 1859, he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco, now the second largest order of the Catholic Church. The Salesians are made up of 34,000 Priests, Brothers and Sisters serving in more than 130 countries around the globe – including Brazil “where the need is great,” added Fr. Hyde.

Nearly one fourth of Brazilians live in poverty and 6.6% live in extreme poverty, according to a 2008 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) report.  While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich.

In Brazil, Salesians focus on ensuring at-risk children and youth have their basic needs met, so that they can work for a better future. For example, at the Salesian Community Center in Porto Alegre, street children receive three nutritious meals a day, clean clothing, medical care, schooling and a safe place to get much needed rest.

At the Don Bosco Youth Center in Cabana, Brazil, youth from the slums of Cabana take part in socio-educational opportunities to help close educational gaps. According to the Salesian Missions website, approximately 80 percent of parents work in the informal sector, and youth often face drugs, violence and unemployment on a daily basis.

A brand new Salesian Center is providing a positive alternative for street children in the city of Abaetetuba. The abandoned and at-risk child and youth can take part in wide variety of healthy and productive activities. The Center includes a recreation facility where children are able to participate on teams, make friends and gain a sense of accomplishment.

The government of Brazil is committed to bringing universal education to the country. Still, inequalities in education remain in access to education and educational efficiency, according to the UNESCO report. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education.

Sources:

ANS (Salesian Info Agency)

Salesian Missions

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